Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Education
 
Board
State Board of Education
 
Guidance Document Change: The Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools guidance document was developed in response to House Bill 145 and Senate Bill 161, enacted by the 2020 Virginia General Assembly, which directed the Virginia Department of Education to develop and make available to each school board model policies concerning the treatment of transgender students in public elementary and secondary schools. These guidelines address common issues regarding transgender students in accordance with evidence-based best practices and include information, guidance, procedures, and standards relating to: compliance with applicable nondiscrimination laws; maintenance of a safe and supportive learning environment free from discrimination and harassment for all students; prevention of and response to bullying and harassment; maintenance of student records; identification of students; protection of student privacy and the confidentiality of sensitive information; enforcement of sex-based dress codes; and student participation in sex-specific school activities, events, and use of school facilities.
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1/6/21  10:59 am
Commenter: B Cahill

Use of legal/deadnames
 

Please consider a new policy on the use of Dead names (names used prior to transitioning/ legal names/ birth certificate names) instead of preferred names on anything public in k-12 schools. There is no legal reason to use someone's dead name on school documents and doing so can reveal the fact that they are transgender/non binary whether they want it known or not.

 

Getting a legal name change for a minor in Virginia can still be a difficult process depending on circumstances. Using someone's preferred name in school databases and on documents like report cards and progress reports would go a long way in schools being inclusive and helping kids protect their own privacy.

CommentID: 88584